Hi Guys, With Glibert keeping everyone updated of L'Arsenal's latest release efforts, my job posting here has been made easier!Thanks Gilbert!EVERYTHING that L'Arsenal offers as a new item is now or will soon be available here in the US through L'Arenal USA !If we don't have it yet, we will have it very soon. PLEASE ASK.

BEGINNING WITH IPMS NATIONAL CONVENTION 2012 ! ! ! !*NEW KIT*L"Arsenal's newest 1/350 scale full kit!Kit 350-13 FH USS Benjamin Stoddert DDG-22(Charles F. Adams Class DDG) FULL HULL $150.00 ea plus shipping.Kit 350-13 WL USS Benjamin Stoddert DDG-22 WATER-LINE (no hull bottom parts) $140.00 ea. plus shipping. This kit is comprised of cast resin parts, a complete p/e sheet, machined brass parts, (gun barrels and tri-pod mast assembly), and waterslide decals for all DDG's in the class.*PLEASE READ BELOW* This all new kit designed in-house by Benjamin Druel and Jacques Druel. DDG-22 details compared by Tony Bunch and with the cooperative efforts of Master-Model of Poland,(producer of the brass gun barrels and entire tri-pod mast assembly), and Hawk-Graphics/TheResinShipYard, (producer of the specialized DDG decal sheet).*NOTE* This kit can indeed be built as any other DDG in the class, but this kit is "Hyper'Accurate" as Banjamin Stoddert. If any of you guys are on the fence as to whether to buy this kit or not and want to build another ship of this class, I encourage anyone interested to ping me with questions before purchasing the kit. Questions go to:larsenal_usa@att.net or you can use the Modelwarships.com PM system. I've learned a few things about the visible differences between each ship of this class, and then of course there lies the other question, "which time period"?

Why DDG-22? Why did we choose the same kit as produced once before by WEM? Call it coincidence? I personally have amassed more ship-specific information of USS Benjamin Stoddert than any other Adams Class DDG. In an effort to ensure absolute kit accuracy and because I've come to love this ship! Having become a dedicated Adams class DDG Fan, I have amassed an amazing collection of Adams class DDG's in scale drawing form and in photographic reference form. Originally, we planned to do the first ship-in-class, DDG-2 USS Charles F. Adams, but when getting research materials together I was only able to get BuShips Hull contour lines, (nearly essential in hull shape design accuracy), of the later hull design, (DDG-19 through DDG-24). After that, it was a matter of choosing which ship to do between DDG-19 and DDG-24; hence the afore-mentioned reason for choosing DDG-22. After a most thorough and detail(s) oriented design effort, this kit depicts USS Benjamin Stoddert from WestPac '72. Special thanks go to former DDG-22 sailor Bill Halvorson for sharing his personal photos taken during this period. I also want to recognize Robin Richardson whom served on the, "Bennie Maru", in the mid-late 70's. THANKS BILL.......THANKS ROBIN!!A while ago, I became a special guest-member of the DDG-22 Reunion association; where I was able to share on the DDG-22's f/b pages and when I was able to attend the ships' reunion here in San Diego October, 2010. I'm certain that this particular association, (like many others of its' type), is made up of former crew-members and officers whom believed that their ships' and their personal memory of it was worth keeping alive. It turned out that the re-union association chapter president, Ron Zorn lives only 2 miles from my own residence in Santee, CA. How's that for a coincidence? To close this loop, in my regular profession I have been taken care of Ron's Avalanche since 2009. We recommend synthetic lubricants!Unlike her many sisters either being used in a "SinkEx", or, "turned into razor blades", DDG-22 sank while under tow to be scrapped. She's still in one piece!Here's to the, "Bennie Sweat" !! Here's DDG-22's website:http://www.ddg22.com/

Hi Guys, On the L'Arsenal USA website, I'm still learning the limitations of, "edit product / single page", mode, and I've only been able to load 2 images per page. My wife is working with her camera this evening, but I promise to post pictures of the kit soon. Dear Peter, Pictures of the finished model you say? My dear sir, "is'nt that your job"? I dare say that many a new release comes along that has only begun to settle into one of my own, "stash places", when your finished prize hits the Modeler's Gallery!!! This can't be my observation alone, can it?

Now that the kit has started to sell, we've started getting customer's comments. In view of the most purely professional manner, all of L'Arsenal's customer's comments are considered and are indeed valued as, "priceless". Naturally, after seeing this kit and realizing the potential to an all new series of, "L'Arsenal Cold Warriors", the recent buyers of L'Arsenal's new 1/350 scale DDG-22 kit begin to wonder, 'W-H-A-T' S.....N-E-X-T...?" Indeed.I'll get pics up asap, so the rest of the world will get a close look.Thanks very much, Tony Bunch

_________________"You guys make this hobby fun!""Some of my dearest friends I have made right here on Modelwarships"

Hi Guys, Ray, The kit is quite purposefully depicting DDG-22 from her "WestPac72" cruise; made the more interesting when having read the memoirs of, "SailorBill"; including many a, "gun run", the ships own morale highs and lows, and this particular WestPac ending with a 8' diameter hole in the port bow from an NVA artillery round.The SPS-10 covers nearly every ship throughout the ages; same for the SPS-39; which had numerous electronics upgrades through the SPS-52 config. The SPS-40 was utilized for most of the career of most of the ships in class. There are exceptions; including the SPS-28 and the SPS-29; which cases are rare. Also, DDG-22 did end up with the later Gun director and the SPQ-9 system, (ball shaped antennae), and are not included. The next DDG kit planned is to be of the Molders, Rommel and Lutjens; by firm request of L'Arsenal from some of our German friends. Lastly; if sales do the persuading, an early DDG-2 through DDG-19 hull will be considered. The question about a Coontz DLG has been considered, but I wanted Jacques to respond.Thanks, Tony

_________________"You guys make this hobby fun!""Some of my dearest friends I have made right here on Modelwarships"

Hi Guys, Hi Christoph, My knee-jerk answer would be yes, but Jacques has so much, "in the fire", at this very moment that I just can't say yes with any real certainty.I know that Jacques will read your message sooner or later and I know that at one time, doing 1/700 was planned. Right now, the simplest thing would be to do another, "Late hull / early config DDG", like Benjamin Stoddert. I can say that having all of the brass parts reduce by 1/2 would be interesting! That's not to mention the many 350th DDG-22 parts that are aleready quite petite!That's the truth as I know it.I think a 1/700 version is warranted; simply because it "dates" the Pit-Road/Dragon offering and would, "smoke", the old plastic kit that I've built a few of myself. At least the modeler would have a choice between,"just okay", and, "sweeeeeeet"!Sorry I got a little carried away.Best wishes from Southern California, Tony BunchL'Arsenal USA

_________________"You guys make this hobby fun!""Some of my dearest friends I have made right here on Modelwarships"